U.N. Moves to Cut Airline Emissions

The U.N. is moving to curb airline emissions in coming years.(Mr. T in DC/Flickr)

The United Nations committee on aviation reached a deal Thursday on how to cut emissions in the airline industry by 2020, but left out a European Union plan to apply its emissions-trading system to intercontinental flights, Reuters reports.

The committee agreed that when it next meets, in 2016, it will establish a market-based mechanism for aviation emissions. Some developing countries pushed for and got an addition to the text stating that the plan will take economic factors into account.